Craft Supplies

Top Nine Television Knitters

I know, I know, listicles are lazy blog writing. But this one wasn’t banged out by a bored content writer in 15 minutes because some douchebag wanted another clickbait piece. This listicle has been put together over many months, whenever inspiration struck. And now, I feel have enough to reveal my Top Nine Knitters on the Telly.

#9 Amanda Seyfried, Ellen

After the initial awkward intro, this clip is really adorable. Amanda Seyfried knits hats as wrap presents for cast and crew members. She says she’s always getting her ‘knit on’ and if you Google Image search Amanda Seyfried knitting you can see that – it’s rather stalky though, so maybe not.

#8 Susan, The Bletchley Circle

The main focus of The Bletchley Circle is four ladies who used to have important, engaging work as code breakers during World War Two. By the 1950s, however, they have little to occupy their time except motherhood, wife-hood, and menial jobs – so they end up hunting down a killer.

I’ve simplified a lot.

Anyway, the transition from crack code cracker to slightly bored mother is shown by Susan knitting and the her charted pattern. It seems to say ‘I used to use code to stop the Nazis; now I just use it to make pretty things’. While that may not sell the show, it’s definitely worth a watch, if only for the clothes.

#7 Maggie, Misfits

Misfits is a very dark British comedy-action TV series. After a large, strange electrical storm, various people acquire special powers – usually relating to some sort of latent skill or desire. The first two seasons are great; the following ones not so much, except that there’s a lady whose special power is the she knits the future. That’s right, she’s a precognitive crafter. How cool is that?

#6 This Guy, Jimmy Kimmel Live

Truthfully, I’d never heard of Jimmy Kimmel before someone posted this link on Facebook. But I really like the way he interviewed this guy. Yes, there’s some gentle mocking – I love the line ‘those are the ones for lazy knitters’ – but that’s what happens in chat show audiences. I like questions he asks like ‘when do you knit’ and ‘what else is in the bag’ – they seem to show a genuine interest.

And the guy did finish the bow tie before the end of the show!

#5 Monica, Friends

Friends was on air for a really, really long time – especially in New Zealand where it was pretty much on loop for many years. In amongst these many, many episodes there’s one where Monica is knitting – and the best thing about it is that it isn’t a big deal. No one remarks on it, it’s not even really mentioned – except to break the tension on an awkward situation.

That said, it really doesn’t look like she knows how to knit.

#4 Everyone, Call the Midwife

It’s a program about nurses and nuns set in the 1950s. Of course there was going to be knitting.

What I love about the knitting in Call the Midwife is that the knitted items magically turn into crochet items – and every single knitter/crocheter notices and is outraged. Seriously. There are comments on news stories, knitting forums, and there was even a thread on Reddit (which I annoyingly can’t find now). I have no idea why it makes knitters/crocheters so angry.

#2 Meredith and Izzie, Grey’s Anatomy

I was a big fan of Grey’s Anatomy when I was at university. My whole flat watched it religiously. Weirdly, I had no idea they were still making it. Anyway…

Sometime in Season 2, Meredith decides to give up sex and take up knitting. Because, obviously, the two are mutually exclusive. While I disagree with a couple of points (not being allowed to knit in a bar and Izzie knitting an entire sweater in a day), I thought the story was quite neat – and it was pretty well done how obvious it was the Meredith couldn’t knit and Izzie could.

#1 Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan, M*A*S*H

Season 6, Episode Nine, ‘A War for All Seasons’ looks back over the year of 1951. Margaret is knitting throughout the year and the intended item grows and changes over the months. Originally (from memory) it’s meant to be a scarf for her boyfriend, then he upsets her and it keeps growing to become a sweater. By the end of the episode, though, it’s a blanket large enough to wrap around her and another nurse.

What did I miss?

Okay, what did I miss? Which characters do you think should have been included?